The company I am captain of had a Criterion, second hand unit. I think it was owned by a company named Donahue out of Scranton, Pa. That's who purchsed our 1966 Cadillac, in 1975. They kept the Cadillac, till 1978, when they purchased a stock unit Dodge van. Going by the minutes, it was in pretty rough shape. The storage box on top, according to our neighbor, who was an EMT at the time held two scoops and a metal backboard, and it flew off one evening, destroying the box and everything inside. They had a demo ambulance three days later and bought it on the spot. She said the Criterion was stripped of its lights, wires, siren, etc; and sold for scrap. The junk yard said it was crushed years ago. But we had all the lights till just a couple years ago. Someone put a whole closet full in a dumpster. That's a damn shame right there. The siren, though, we still have that. I used it have it in my SUV, but it's really big, clunky, and would make strange noises, instead of the wail, yelp and hi-lo.
How many Criterion's are left...
- Thread starter Richard Vyse
- Start date
"Had we known then what we know now.."
David Henry
PCS Member
Back in 1974 we tried to get the owner of our private ambulance company to purchase a criterion instead of a '74 star line dodge karivan modular. He said the criterion was too costly. Does anyone know what a new criterion cost in 74/75.
$17,500-20,000 depending on options.
Bad decision on my part and should have kept my 74 Criterion over the Lifeliner. Can't cry over spilled mile...
I tried to tell you that, but your judgment was clouded by what you saw as the return on investment. :argue:
Kurt Arends
PCS Elected Director 2021-2024
I would disagree. The Criterions look too much like a watermelon giving birth to a Cadillac! I still prefer all of the windows in a Lifeliner!!
Philip Scanio
PCS Member / Super Site Supporter
$ 20,000.00 in 1974 = $ 96,600.00 in 2016 according to the Federal Reserve.
John Royark JR
PCS Member
Which figures out about average of what a new coach today would cost you.
Brendan Martin
PCS Member
Bad decision on my part and should have kept my 74 Criterion over the Lifeliner. Can't cry over spilled mile...
Sorry Richard, I like the Lifeliner more than the Criterion. You made the right move, IMHO.
Mike McDonald
PCS Member
Although I now own a beautifully refurbished CRITERION (the 2nd one)... I agree that the flowing lines of a windowed LIFELINER are much more pleasing. MM
Chris, in a previous thread, Robert Shepard spoke to Joe Grimes, the former Miller-Meteor Product Sales Manager awhile back who explained the Criterion struggled to fit into the production line with other cars resulting in fewer than 50 units produced during the Criterion's 3 year model run.
Which makes them more rare then anything you'll ever see on Barrett-Jackson.
John ED Renstrom
PCS Member
having worked on both of them all I can say it there just another high top. the problem with them was upper management never got sold on the Ida and they wee started to late to establish a notch in the market. I don't believe the less then 50 number though. less then 50 a year maybe or that capital city fleet photo shows 1/10 of the production run.
the problem with them was upper management never got sold on the Ida and they wee started to late to establish a notch in the market. I don't believe the less then 50 number though. less then 50 a year maybe or that capital city fleet photo shows 1/10 of the production run.having worked on both of them all I can say it there just another high top.
Well Ed certainly put his magic touch on my old 74 Criterion installing twin 84's and they were level too.
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having worked on both of them all I can say it there just another high top.
It seems like all of the previous attempts at similar products were slow sellers too, and after much hype, were quietly discontinued after finding few buyers (the Eureka Hi-Boy, M-M Guardian). Probably because they were so outrageously expensive compared to "lesser" ambulances.
Ron Devies
PCS Ohio Chapter President PCS Past Vice President
They are rare but not as rare as what is believed to be the LAST surviving MCC/Pinner Van
I know, I know this is about Criterions, just couldn't resist the cheap commercial moment.
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